DRY LAND

Bora York is the Minneapolis husband-and-wife duo of Chris and Rebekah Bartels. They are currently writing their third full-length album.

DRY LAND

‘Dry Land’ is a song about abuse, healing, and hope.

The inspiration comes from a few people in our lives who have deeply experienced all of these things. The pain that comes with abuse. The uphill battle in building trust after it. And the continued healing.

I’ll often come up with a lyric before I know what a song is about. I’ll let that lyric dictate where the rest of it goes. For this song, the chorus and bridge came to me before I even thought about what the song is about.

This became the first perspective - someone encouraging the abused, letting them know that they are here to let them grieve, and to build them up. This person sees the incredible strength and courage in the heart of the abused.

“My heart opened up, I dove in your touch.”

This is the second perspective - from that of the abused.

As to represent the long and steady journey of healing and restoration, this is the bridge of the song, and it starts out very quiet, building and building until the end. The first lyric is, “my mind opened up,” followed later by, “my heart opened up.” They are slowly opening their heart up again.

-Chris Bartels

LYRICS

Quilted, when the willows shedAnd the rivers whisper us to sleepFallen, when your heart healsAnd the light breaks, and the light speaks to usAnd the light breaks, and the light speaks to us

We’ll raise a houseWe’ll raise a homeWe’ll store our love, we’ll build our trustWe’ll build a life on your courageAlways on dry land